Using out-of-date appliances

Today, it can feel like technology, from our cell phones to our refrigerators, need constant updating. While we’re not recommending you buy the latest appliance, it is important to replace old, worn-out tech in the spirit of conserving electricity. Appliances are one of the biggest chunks of your electricity bill, so it’s crucial you’re not running ‘clunkers’ when you should be upgrading to energy-efficient models instead.

One item to look for when upgrading your appliances is that little Energy Star logo. Energy Star appliances may cost a little more than traditional machines, but these energy-efficient machines use less energy to get the job done than their other electricity-zapping counterparts.

The same goes for all the light bulbs in your house. If you’re still using traditional incandescent bulbs, you’re in the dark! LED lights use 80–90% less energy, provide better bright light, and last pretty much forever.

Too many devices on ‘stand-by’

One of the main reasons your electric bill may be high is that you leave your appliances or electronics plugged in whether you’re using them or not. While that might not have been such a problem years ago, most modern appliances and gadgets draw electricity when turned off. This is mostly because much of modern technology never really powers down. When you press the “Power” button on your DVR, computer, or television, it actually transitions to a standby mode so it can be turned back on faster, either for continued use or to carry out a scheduled task like recording a TV show or brewing a pot of coffee.

The problem is, these devices are sitting idle, sucking electricity out of your home while waiting for a command from you or waiting for a scheduled task to run. Anything with a clock, such as microwave ovens and coffee makers — and even older technologies, like VCRs — need power to keep time while turned off.

You can start saving energy by connecting devices to power strips and turning off the power strips when you’re not using them. That way, off will really means off as you’ve effectively disconnected the device from the power source. Check out how these devices rank in terms of energy usage.

Your Home Needs to be Insulated

Another sneaky culprit of electricity drain is the energy it takes to heat and cool your home. If your home is not properly insulated, all the money you spend on heating and cooling will be going right out your beautiful, bay windows and drafty attic space. This means your home’s unit is working harder than it should, costing you time and, of course, money!

To help deflect escaping heat/cool air, try replacing all the old windows and doors in your home with well-fitting, multi-pane choices. If this isn’t an option, you can always install weatherstripping around your doors and windows, too. Check out this handy guide from Energy.gov to find out how much insulation your home needs depending on where you live.

Blame it on the Rates: Electricity Bill Charges and What it All Means

It’s as easy as flipping on the lights– electricity is quick to use and seemingly immeasurable. Or is it? When the electricity bill comes in the mail, it can be difficult to make sense of the charges and fees; it can leave you wondering, “What am I even paying for?” Let us break it down for you.

When you buy gas, you’re charged by the gallon. When you buy electricity, you’re charged by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you use 1000 watts for one hour, that’s a kilowatt-hour. To get kilowatt-hours, take the wattage of the device, multiply by the number of hours you use it, and divide by 1000.

Example calculation: 500watts*10hours=5000/1000=5kWh

It’s important to remember:

Watts is the rate of use at this instant. We use watts to see how hungry a device is for power (e.g., 100-watt bulb is twice as hungry as a 50-watt bulb).

Watt-hours is the total energy used over time. We use watt-hours to see how much electricity we used over a period of time. That’s what we’re paying for.

Depending on the appliance, you can’t always trust the wattage printed on the device because many devices don’t use the full listed wattage. For example, the compressor in a refrigerator doesn’t run constantly, so you can’t go by the listed wattage for a fridge. To get a more accurate use of electricity of your appliances, go through these steps:

Step #1. Go get your electricity bill and see how many kilowatt hours you used last month.

Step #2. Assume that the lights in your kitchen and living room together use 400 watts. How much does it cost if the lights are on 24 hours a day, for a whole month? How much per year? Assume 15¢/kWh, then go through the formula mentioned above to figure cost.

Step #3. Assume your window AC uses 1440 watts. How much does it cost to run it continuously for a month? How much per year? Assume 15¢/kWh, then go through the formula mentioned above to figure cost.

So what does this all mean? How do you know you’re paying for exactly what you use? How do you know that you’re getting the best rate?

If you live in a deregulated market, you have the power to choose the company that supplies energy to your home or business. By the time you flip a switch or press a button to enjoy the benefits of convenient, reliable energy, several different entities have worked together to bring this energy to you.

Electricity can be a pesky thing to keep track off, especially when it’s costing you lots of money. Let us help you get your home into ‘green’ shape, while saving you time and money on your next electricity bill. Connect with us today and we’ll help you get on track to a more energy efficient home.